How do I add a weather widget to my Mac desktop?

Right-click the desktop, choose Edit Widgets, search for Weather, then drag the size you want onto the desktop. The widget pulls from Apple's Weather app for your location.

Does macOS have a built-in weather widget?

Yes. The Weather app includes desktop widgets that show the current temperature, conditions, and a short forecast. You can place them on the desktop on macOS Sonoma and later.

Can I show air quality on my Mac desktop too?

The native Weather widget shows an air quality index for many regions. For a persistent AQI readout alongside weather, a live wallpaper dashboard can keep it always visible.

Why is my Mac weather widget not updating?

Check that Location Services is on for Weather in System Settings, that you are connected to the internet, and that the correct location is set in the Weather app.

How to Show Weather on Your Mac Desktop

To show weather on your Mac desktop, right-click the desktop, choose Edit Widgets, search for Weather, and drag the widget onto your background — it works on macOS Sonoma and later. The widget pulls live conditions and a short forecast from Apple's Weather app. If you want weather plus air quality always visible without a separate widget, third-party apps and live wallpapers are good alternatives. Here is how each works.

The native Weather widget

macOS ships a Weather app with desktop widgets, and since Sequoia you can place them directly on the desktop.

Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and choose Edit Widgets.
Search for Weather.
Drag the size you prefer onto the desktop — small shows current conditions, larger sizes add a forecast.
Make sure Location Services is enabled for Weather in System Settings → Privacy & Security so it follows your current location.

This is free, native, and accurate. The native widget also surfaces an air quality index in many regions, plus precipitation and a daily forecast.

Where the native widget falls short

Sizes and layout are fixed to Apple's presets.
It sits on the desktop layer, so a full-screen window can cover it.
You cannot combine it with other data (sunrise, system stats) in one continuous display.

For a broader look at native and third-party options, see our best Mac desktop widgets roundup.

Menu bar weather apps

If you want weather always visible no matter what is on screen, a menu bar app keeps it at the top edge:

Carrot Weather — detailed, customizable forecasts with a menu bar readout and notifications.
Forecast Bar — clean current conditions and hourly outlook in the menu bar.
MeteoSurf / Weather Bar — lightweight current-temperature displays.

These never get covered by windows, but the readout is small and lives at the screen edge rather than acting as a glanceable focal point.

Show weather and air quality on your wallpaper with Orbl

If you would rather have weather as part of your background — alongside sunrise, sunset, and air quality — a live wallpaper dashboard is one way to do it. Orbl is a native macOS app (macOS 14 and later) that renders a calm dashboard into your wallpaper, with weather as one of its modules.

Quick walkthrough:

Download and open Orbl, then allow it to set your wallpaper.
Enable the weather module to show current conditions plus sunrise and sunset.
Turn on air quality (AQI) so it sits next to the forecast.
Add a clock, machine stats, or device batteries around it, then pick a layout and theme.

Because it is a native Swift app, it idles near 0% CPU, stays under 100MB of RAM, and is 100% local. Orbl is free, with an optional one-time $29 Premium upgrade (lifetime, no subscription). It is one approach among several, best when you want weather and AQI to feel like part of the desktop instead of a small corner widget. To go deeper on AQI, see air quality on Mac desktop.

Which option should you pick?

Option	Best for	Cost
Weather widget	A quick native forecast	Free, native
Menu bar app	Always-visible current conditions	Free or paid
Live wallpaper (Orbl)	Weather plus AQI baked into the wallpaper	Free + one-time

For most people the native Weather widget is the fastest answer and covers conditions, forecast, and AQI. If you want weather to be a glanceable centerpiece next to other ambient data, a wallpaper-based approach is worth considering. To weigh widgets against a wallpaper dashboard, read widgets vs a live wallpaper dashboard.